A. William Blackstock, Jr: In Memoriam (1963–2023)
Authors: Joel E. Tepper
Journal: Clinical Cancer Research (2023)

William Blackstock was an individual on whom one could always rely to get things done when they needed to be done, and who did them with a laugh and a smile. He was an individual who was liked by all and who excelled in getting the most out of others—be they residents, junior faculty, senior faculty, or scientific collaborators.William was born in 1963 in Eden, North Carolina. He had the advantage of having parents who were teachers in the public school system, and that association seemed to carry with him throughout his life as he became a teacher as well as a physician and clinical researcher. He went to the public schools in Eden, received a scholarship to attend Wake Forest University (Winston-Salem, NC), and then went on to medical school at East Carolina University School of Medicine (Greenville, NC).I had the pleasure of first meeting William in the late 1980s, when he did a radiation oncology student rotation at the University of North Carolina (UNC; Chapel Hill, NC). His enthusiasm and intelligence were apparent, and we were pleased to be able to offer him a residency position at UNC. As his residency progressed, it was clear that William had skills that would be a hallmark of his career. More than almost any resident I have seen, he sought out research opportunities, both within and importantly outside the department, trying to find those opportunities that would have a meaningful impact on clinical care. He talked to anyone who could provide ideas or insights, and then collaborated with those people. This is a signature trait through his career: his ability to learn from and collaborate with a wide variety of individuals. When he recognized opportunities, he collaborated with others and pursued these ideas to completion.His initial work focused on gemcitabine radiation sensitization for pancreatic cancer, and he developed a new approach based on the nonlinear pharmacokinetics of gemcitabine with an alternative dose delivery scheme. This approach was then tested in both the single-institution study and then through the cooperative group system. These interests in radiation sensitization based on science stayed with him throughout his career.After his residency at UNC, he stayed on at UNC as faculty for a short while and then took a faculty position at Wake Forest University School of Medicine (Winston-Salem, NC), where he rose through the ranks to become Professor and then Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology. His clinical focus was on the treatment of gastrointestinal and thoracic malignancies, with substantive research efforts both at a local and a national level. He participated and led multiple local and national clinical trials in these areas. His position allowed him to combine his interests in clinical care, scientific research, and teaching, as well as to pursue his deep interest in cancer disparities and the social determinants of health.His primary concern was always his patients. He related to his patients and spent the time and effort that was needed to develop special rapport with them.The quality of his work naturally was noticed by others in both the clinical cancer and cancer research communities. He has been a member of the NCI clinical oncology study section and the NCI Board of Scientific Counselors (intramural). He has been co-chair of the NCI Thoracic Malignancy Steering Committee and has served on multiple committees of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Association for Cancer Research. He was, as well, a member of a large number of special panels and symposia.One example of how he worked relates to events surrounding the time when the Wake Forest Comprehensive Cancer Center was having some issues, and they naturally went to William to get the situation resolved. He became the Acting Director of the Cancer Center, a position he did not wish to have. He took on a very difficult situation, and he was able to get the problems resolved before the leadership (to his delight) was transferred to others. Amazingly, he took on this role while he was dealing with multiple treatments for metastatic and progressive prostate cancer. He knew that he would die of this disease, but he was loyal to the institution and to his colleagues at Wake Forest. Being who he was, he could do nothing less. Despite many years of treatment for his prostate cancer, he told very few people of his illness. He was active in both clinical and research activities until very shortly before his death and he was still planning what his next steps would be.William spent virtually his entire academic life in North Carolina, but his impact has been much wider. He leaves behind his two daughters, Jessica Blackstock (Logan) and Ansley Blackstock (Jiri), and granddaughter Bryn Blackstock, all of Winston-Salem. He will be missed by his family, and his many friends and colleagues in the state and far beyond. As his mentor, and especially as his colleague, I will personally miss him very much.